The overall aim of this study is to examine the dynamic relationships between physical health status and assessments of health among Black and White adults. The questions pursued in this research focus on how the more extensive health problems of minority adults may affect health assessments and, perhaps, accelerate health declines as they age. Previous research suggests that Black adults may be more pessimistic in their health orientations, thereby being deterred from expecting and seeking health improvements from medical or health care interventions. The aims of the project include: 1) examine the prevalence of health pessimism among Black and White adults once controlling for social class and financial adequacy; 2) model change in health status among Black and White adults over the course of the 15-year study; and 3) test the predictive ability of health assessments for identifying mortality risk. The research makes use of a 15-year panel study of a sample of adult Americans participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I: Epidemiological Follow-up Study. The subjects studied were first interviewed during 1971-1975 and reinterviewed in 1982-1984 and again in 1987 (N=6,931 at baseline). A prospective research design is used to evaluate how health status and change in health status affect and are affected by health assessments among Black and White Americans. In addition to racial differences, special attention is given to gender in identifying change in functional health status and health assessments.